Arts Educational Schools, London

Overview

ArtsEd provides specialist vocational training at secondary, further and higher education level in musical theatre and acting for film and television. The school also offers part-time and holiday courses in the performing arts. The school is accredited by Drama UK and it offers Qualifications and Curriculum Authority recognised qualifications validated by the City University London or Trinity College, London.

In 2013 ArtsEd was awarded a grant by the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation to fund a major refurbishment project. The money was spent on improving four key areas: the main theatre, costume storage, the School of Film and Television and the school’s access facilities.

Arts Educational Schools London is accredited by Drama UK and is one of twenty-one specialist performing arts schools approved to offer government-funded Dance and Drama Awards, a scheme established to subsidise the cost of professional dance and drama training for the most talented students at leading institutions.

In 2015 the School was rated "Outstanding" by Ofsted.

History

ArtsEd originated from two schools, one founded in 1919 by Grace Cone and one in 1922 by Olive Ripman. These two women were educational pioneers who believed passionately in the value of combining a general academic education with a specialised training in dance, drama, music and art, preparing young men and women for professional careers in or connected with the theatre. In 1939 Grace and Olive joined forces to create the Cone Ripman School, subsequently named the Arts Educational Schools. The school was first based in premises at Stratford Place in London, but following the outbreak of World War II, the school was relocated to Tring, Hertfordshire, where it shared premises with the Rothschild Bank in the mansion at Tring Park.

In 1941, the school reopened its premises at Stratford Place, with a second school continuing to operate in Tring and in 1947, both schools were renamed the Arts Educational Schools (London/Tring Park). Ballerina Dame Beryl Grey became Director of the Schools in the 1960s and ArtsEd continued to innovate, introducing both professional acting and musical theatre courses before many of their competitors. Since it was reopened, the London school has been based in various locations, until 1986 when the school purchased the former buildings of Acton and Chiswick Polytechnic, which had merged with Maria Grey Training College to form the West London Institute of Higher Education ten years prior. This building continues to be home to the school and is now known as Cone Ripman House.

In the 2000s the two schools became independent of each other, and Arts Educational Schools Tring Park has since been renamed Tring Park School for the Performing Arts. Today, the Arts Educational Schools London comprises a co–educational Independent Day School and Sixth Form for pupils aged 11–18, a professional conservatoire specialising in acting and musical theatre and a range of part-time courses.

For many years, the president of the school was prima ballerina assoluta Dame Alicia Markova and following her death in 2004, she was succeeded in 2007 by composer and theatre producer, Andrew Lloyd Webber (Baron Lloyd-Webber of Sydmonton). Iain Reid was dean of the schools from 1999 until his retirement in December 2006. He was succeeded by John Baraldi, former chief executive of Riverside Studios,and former director of the East 15 Acting School; Baraldi left the school in early 2009. The current Principal is Jane Harrison, formerly head of drama at the school.

Notable Alumni

See full list here Category:People educated at the Arts Educational Schools

Qualifications and courses

Full Time

Part Time